Six in the morning in Westcliff. Before your eyes are properly open you hear it: a deep snort, then silence, then another. You walk barefoot onto the terrace, and thirty metres below you a southern right lies in the shallow water as though it had parked there. That is how a morning in Hermanus starts, if you have the right room. The question is not whether you can find a room with a sea view, but which part of town to look in.
Hermanus has more guesthouses than hotels. The big places sit above the Old Harbour, the Marine, Harbour House, the Windsor, windows to the bay. The rest spreads out across villas of four to eight rooms along the cliff, holiday houses in Voëlklip and Onrus, cottages on wine farms up the valley, and a couple of hostels in the centre. What the choice turns on: whether you have a car, whether you want to walk to the Cliff Path, and whether you want whales in the morning or quiet in the evening. You can have both, and it costs.
Centre, Westcliff, Eastcliff46 places
Walking distance to the Old Harbour, the Cliff Path and the restaurants; in whale season you hear the kelp horn from your room.
Voëlklip, Kwaaiwater, Grotto Beach11 places
The quiet streets in the east, three to five kilometres from the centre, with the beaches at the door and whales from the terrace.
Sandbaai, Onrus, Vermont18 places
The western suburbs, with a lagoon, a surf beach and holiday houses; five to ten minutes by car into the centre.
Up the Hemel-en-Aarde valley4 places
Between vines and mountains, a quarter of an hour from the sea; mist in the valley in the morning, Pinot Noir on the terrace at night.
Further out3 places
On the lagoons at Fisherhaven and along the Klein River, quiet, and fifteen to twenty minutes from the centre by car.
The places, compared
The list covers places in Hermanus and in the suburbs out to Onrus and up into the Hemel-en-Aarde valley that you can compare on trivago. The price on each card is the cheapest offer on trivago for the night named there; on other dates it can be higher or lower. You enter your own dates after the click, and then you see what the booking sites quote for exactly your nights. The rating is the trivago guest average on a scale to 10.
AdThe links to the accommodation are affiliate links to our partner trivago. Book through one of them and we earn a commission. You pay no more than you otherwise would, and the price that counts is always the one the booking site shows you.

74 On Marine
Marine Drive
On Marine Drive with a pool and a kitchen; the Old Harbour and Market Square are five minutes on foot.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Kitchen
- Parking
from €172per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Selkirk House
29 Selkirk Street
In Northcliff above the town, with a pool, a fireplace and air conditioning, two kilometres from the sea.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Air conditioning
from €220per night on 23 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
Glow Boutique Suites
200 Piet Retief Cres
Suites in Sandbaai with a pool, a restaurant and air conditioning, and one of the highest ratings on this list.
- Pool
- Restaurant
- Parking
- Air conditioning
from €111per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
Hermanus Cliff Path Lodge
331 Main Road
On Main Road where the town turns into Voëlklip, with the Cliff Path opposite and power that stays on through loadshedding.
- Pool
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €121per night on 11 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
The Whale on Main B&B
329 Main Rd
On Main Road where the town turns into Voëlklip, with a pool and a spa, and very well rated.
- Pool
- Spa
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €155per night on 26 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Perla
197 Main Rd, Eastcliff
On Main Road in Eastcliff with a pool, five stars and one of the best guest ratings in town.
- Pool
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €195per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
138 Marine Beachfront Guesthouse
138 Kus Rd
On Kus Road in Sandbaai right on the sea, with a pool and breakfast, five minutes by car from the centre.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €126per night on 1 December 2026
Check prices on trivago
Casa Del Mar
214 Seventh Street, Voelklip
On Seventh Street in Voëlklip, cheap, with breakfast and one of the highest ratings in town.
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €68per night on 11 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Mosselberg on Grotto Beach
Voelklip, 253A 10th Street
At Grotto Beach in Voëlklip, with a pool, a spa and a fireplace; the terrace looks out over the Blue Flag beach.
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Kitchen
from €295per night on 13 December 2026
Check prices on trivago
The Gregoire Boutique & Spa
86 Mitchell St
On Mitchell Street in Eastcliff, small, with a pool and a spa; the ratings are high and the prices are not.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Wi-Fi
from €47per night on 11 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
TNT on Main
39 Main Road
An apartment on Main Road in the middle of the centre; breakfast is across the street.
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €73per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Oak on Main
Main Road 1 Oak Terrace
An apartment on Main Road with a kitchen; you live above the shops of the centre.
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €81per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
The Potting Shed Guest House
28 Albertyn Street
On Albertyn Street north of Main Road, quiet, with a pool and breakfast, ten minutes on foot to the harbour.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €90per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Kennedys Beach Villa
5 Disa Street, Onrus River Beach
Right on the beach at Onrus with a pool, a spa and a restaurant; surfers outside the window in the morning, the sunset at night.
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
from €131per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Whale Coast Ocean Villa
14 12th Ave
A villa on 12th Avenue in Voëlklip with air conditioning, close to Grotto Beach.
- Parking
- Air conditioning
- Wi-Fi
from €134per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
La Fontaine Guest House
33 Marine Drive
On Marine Drive a hundred metres from the Old Harbour, with a pool and a small spa; the guest ratings are among the best in town.
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Parking
from €144per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Esplanade Hermanus
63 Marine Dr
Apartments on Marine Drive with their own kitchens, a pool, and the cliff path at the door.
- Pool
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €170per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
Hermanus Beachfront Lodge
154 11th Street, Voelklip
On 11th Street in Voëlklip, two streets from the beach, with solar power for the evenings when the lights would otherwise go out.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Kitchen
- Parking
from €175per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
One Marine Drive Boutique Hotel
1 Marine Dr
Number 1 Marine Drive, right on the Cliff Path, with few rooms and a pool looking out over Walker Bay.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Air conditioning
from €185per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Abalone Guest Lodge
306 Main Rd
On Main Road in Voëlklip with a pool, a spa and air conditioning, three minutes to the Cliff Path.
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Parking
from €302per night on 5 December 2026
Check prices on trivago
Mulligans Guest Lodge
275 Main Road
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
- Parking
from €103per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
High Season Farm Luxury Cottages
R320 Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Road
Cottages on a farm on the R320 up the Hemel-en-Aarde valley, with a pool, a fireplace and breakfast; the wine estates are round the corner.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Kitchen
- Parking
from €111per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
Hermanus Lodge on the Green
8 Fernkloof Dr
By the golf course on Fernkloof Drive, with a pool and breakfast; you walk to the reserve and drive to the sea.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Air conditioning
from €128per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Hermanus Boutique Guest House
9 Marine Dr
On Marine Drive with a pool and a spa, three minutes on foot from the Old Harbour.
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Parking
from €144per night on 3 December 2026
Check prices on trivago
Lavender Manor Guest Lodge
184, 10th Street
On 10th Street in Voëlklip with a pool, air conditioning and breakfast, two streets from the beach.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Air conditioning
from €158per night on 3 February 2027
Check prices on trivago
On The Cliff Guest House
42 Westcliff Road
On Westcliff Road right at the cliff edge, with a pool and a spa; you see the whales from the garden.
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Parking
from €220per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Fisherhaven Traveller's Lodge
20 China Marais Ave
In Fisherhaven on the Bot River lagoon, with a pool, breakfast and a kitchen, the cheapest well rated house on the list.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Kitchen
- Parking
from €34per night on 13 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
Brown Jug Guest House
18 Musson Street, Eastcliff
On Musson Street in Eastcliff, with a pool, a fireplace and kitchens in the rooms.
- Pool
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Air conditioning
from €73per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
Oude Schuur Boutique Guesthouse
36 Pelican Street Onrus Herman
On Pelican Street in Onrus with a pool, breakfast and air conditioning, five minutes on foot to the lagoon.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Air conditioning
from €77per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
The Gables Hermanus
19 De Goede Street
- Pool
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €91per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
Valentines Hermanus
292 8th Street
- Pool
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €91per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Anchor's Rest
90 Westcliff Road
On Westcliff Road with a pool, breakfast and rooms with kitchens, fifteen minutes on foot to the Old Harbour.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Kitchen
- Parking
from €103per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
Hermanus Heights Villa
37 Raed Na Gael
A villa in Hermanus Heights above the town, with a pool, pets welcome, and a long view over the bay.
- Pool
- Parking
- Pets welcome
- Wi-Fi
from €103per night on 11 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Ocean Edge Apartments
75 Tobago Bay, Whale Rock Estate
Apartments in the Whale Rock Estate with a pool, quiet, and better with a car than without.
- Pool
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €130per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
7 on Marine
7 Marine Dr
A small house on Marine Drive with a spa and its own restaurant, and the cliff path starting at the door.
- Spa
- Restaurant
- Parking
- Air conditioning
from €174per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Milkwood Lodge
152-154 Seventh Street
On Seventh Street in Voëlklip under old milkwood trees, with a pool and breakfast, five minutes to the beach.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €200per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
The Marine Hermanus
Main Road
The grand hotel of the town since 1902, up on the cliff by the Old Harbour; from the terrace you watch whales over tea.
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
from €355per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
Hemel en Aarde Village Accommodation
19 Village Lane, Hemel en Aarde Village
In Hemel-en-Aarde Village at the mouth of the valley, with a kitchen, pets welcome; the village restaurants and shops are on foot.
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Pets welcome
- Wi-Fi
from €62per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Eastbury Cottage
36 Luyt Street
A cottage on Luyt Street in Eastcliff with a pool and breakfast, quiet and with a kitchen.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Kitchen
- Parking
from €65per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
Apartment Dolphin House
13 Alikreukel Street
An apartment in Vermont with a pool, quiet and cheap, and you will need the car.
- Pool
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €91per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Sixteen Guesthouse on Main
16 Main Road
On Main Road in the centre with a pool and air conditioning, cafés and shops at the door.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Air conditioning
from €99per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Sandbaai Country House
70 Marine Drive
On Marine Drive in Sandbaai with a pool and breakfast; the Cliff Path is five minutes away by car.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €124per night on 3 February 2027
Check prices on trivago
Auberge Burgundy Boutique Hotel & Spa
16 Harbour Rd
A Provençal-styled house on Harbour Road with a courtyard and a pool, and the harbour restaurants round the corner.
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
from €160per night on 1 December 2026
Check prices on trivago
Beautiful Abalone
4 Strand St
On Strand Street in Westcliff, with a fireplace and a garden, and pets welcome.
- Parking
- Fireplace
- Pets welcome
- Wi-Fi
from €65per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
Hidden Gem on Onrus River
6 Nichol Close
On the Onrus River with a pool and a fireplace, quiet, five kilometres from the centre.
- Pool
- Parking
- Fireplace
- Wi-Fi
from €65per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Elizabeth House
86 Long Street
On Long Street in Sandbaai with a pool and air conditioning, quiet, with a car.
- Pool
- Parking
- Air conditioning
- Wi-Fi
from €68per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Hornbill House Self Catering Accommodation
Hemel & Aarde Village
In Hemel-en-Aarde Village with a kitchen and a restaurant next door, four kilometres from the centre.
- Restaurant
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €68per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
6 Stemmet Lodge
6 Stemmet St
On Stemmet Street in Eastcliff with a pool and breakfast, quiet, a kilometre from the centre.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €75per night on 5 December 2026
Check prices on trivago
Misty Waves Boutique Hotel
21 Marine Dr
On Marine Drive above the bay, with a spa and a restaurant; the sea-facing rooms have the whale view, so ask for one.
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
from €109per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
The Whale's Tale Guesthouse
86 Westcliff Drive, Westcliff
In Westcliff with a pool, breakfast and air conditioning, and the Cliff Path below the house.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Air conditioning
from €122per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
Stone Chimney Cottage
31 8Th Street
A cottage on 8th Street in Voëlklip with a kitchen and parking, for self-caterers.
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €139per night on 11 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Hermanus Backpackers
26 Flower Street
The town hostel, on Flower Street, five minutes on foot from the Old Harbour, with a pool in the yard and a shared kitchen.
- Pool
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €56per night on 27 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Port Del Mar Guesthouse
62 Mitchell St
On Mitchell Street in Eastcliff with air conditioning and parking, ten minutes on foot to the sea.
- Parking
- Air conditioning
- Wi-Fi
from €82per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
The Volmoed Trust
Volmoed Farm 11 Hemel en Aarde
Cottages on the Volmoed farm up the valley, a retreat with a kitchen and a great deal of quiet, five kilometres from the sea.
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €86per night on 20 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Schulphoek House
Schulphoek House, 181 Piet Retief Cres
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
from €146per night on 3 February 2027
Check prices on trivago
Whale Coast All Suite Hotel
Cnr Royal and, Lord Roberts St, Rds
A suite hotel on the corner of Royal Street in the upper centre, with kitchens in the rooms and a restaurant; eight minutes to the sea.
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
- Kitchen
- Parking
from €164per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Refresh At 50 Whale Rock
26 Tobago Bay, Whale Close Unit 50 Whalerock Estate
An apartment in the Whale Rock Estate on the western edge, with a pool and a kitchen, five minutes by car from the centre.
- Pool
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €101per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
Whale Away Guest House
223 Main Rd, Eastcliff
On Main Road in Eastcliff with a pool and breakfast; five minutes to the Cliff Path.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Air conditioning
from €143per night on 27 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
Grand Lux Boutique Manor
2 Cliff Road
On Cliff Road above the rocks, with a pool, a spa and a restaurant; one of the most expensive houses in town.
- Pool
- Spa
- Restaurant
- Parking
from €287per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Holiday house in Fisherhaven
Erf 473, 74 Flying Dutchman Way
On the Bot River lagoon at Fisherhaven, twelve kilometres west, quiet and cheap, though nothing here works without a car.
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €37per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
Two Bedrooms With Ocean Views
Church Street
Two bedrooms in the Hermanus Beach Club at Sandbaai, with a pool and a sea view.
- Pool
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €91per night on 11 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Harbour House Hotel
22 Harbour Rd
Directly above the Old Harbour on Harbour Road, with a pool, a spa and a restaurant; nowhere is the walk to a whale view shorter.
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Wi-Fi
from €146per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
Baleia Guest Lodge
57 Main Rd
On Main Road, five minutes from the Old Harbour, with a pool, breakfast and parking.
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €94per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
TwentyFour 17 Inn
24 Long St
On Long Street in the centre, cheap, with breakfast; the ratings are weaker than its neighbours'.
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €65per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
Zzzone
4 Harbour Road, Warrington Place
A small apartment on Harbour Road above the Old Harbour, with no frills, and cheap and central for it.
- Kitchen
- Wi-Fi
from €46per night on 11 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Salt Shore Studios, Nautical
35 Krintang Sngl
The second studio in the same Vermont house, this one with a fireplace for winter evenings.
- Pool
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Fireplace
from €49per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
Karibu Self-catering Accommodation
5 Strandloper Close
A self-catering flat in Onrus, cheap, with a kitchen and parking.
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €57per night on 20 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Yellow Door Hermanus
35 Dolphin Street
A holiday house on Dolphin Street in the residential streets north of the centre, with a pool and a kitchen, good for families.
- Pool
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €65per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Fairway Holiday Accommodation
13 Fairways Avenue
On Fairways Avenue by the golf course, with a kitchen, for golfers and for families with a car.
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €67per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago

The Koppie, Self Catering
10 Luyt Street
A holiday house on Luyt Street with a kitchen, for self-caterers, fifteen minutes on foot to the harbour.
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €81per night on 20 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Stukkie Cottage
144 Piet Retief street
A small cottage in Sandbaai, cheap, three minutes by car from the centre.
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €95per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
The Yacht
245 Main Road
On Main Road in Eastcliff, pets welcome, plainly furnished.
- Parking
- Pets welcome
- Wi-Fi
from €96per night on 20 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Salt Shore Studios, Botanical
35 Krintang Sngl
A studio in Vermont with a sea view, a kitchen and a pool, ten minutes by car from the centre.
- Pool
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €97per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
Meraki Sands
3 Perlemoen Street
A holiday house in Sandbaai with a fireplace and a kitchen, close to the Sandbaai beach.
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Fireplace
- Wi-Fi
from €110per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
Absolute Ocean Boutique Guesthouse
52 Kusweg
On Kusweg in Sandbaai with a sea view and a pool, a quiet residential street, car needed.
- Pool
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €130per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
First Group Hermanus Beach Club
3 km from the centre
A seafront complex in Sandbaai with a pool and kitchens, built for families, three kilometres from the centre.
- Pool
- Kitchen
- Wi-Fi
from €133per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Ridge House
66 Mountain Drive
On Mountain Drive above the town, with the bay in front and the mountain behind; for the centre you need the car or good legs.
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €189per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Bird's View Guest Accommodation
16 Fulmar Street
In Vermont with a pool, a kitchen and a garden, pets welcome, ten minutes by car from the centre.
- Pool
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Pets welcome
from €245per night on 14 October 2026
Check prices on trivago
Lagoon View in Hermanus
Portion 54, Caledon Road
On Caledon Road above the Klein River lagoon, eleven kilometres east, with a pool; Stanford is closer than Hermanus.
- Pool
- Parking
from €254per night on 18 November 2026
Check prices on trivago
Boutique Ocean Views
16 Marine Dr
On Marine Drive facing the bay, rooms with air conditioning and a pool, meant for guests who put the view above everything.
- Pool
- Parking
- Air conditioning
- Wi-Fi
from €295per night on 6 April 2027
Check prices on trivago
The Gregoire Boutique Villa
227 Main street, Eastclifff
A villa on Main Road in Eastcliff with a pool, a spa and a restaurant, the larger sister of the Gregoire.
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
from €350per night on 21 November 2026
Check prices on trivagoNothing is listed in this area at the moment. Try another filter.
When to book
For September and October, book about six months out. That is the peak of whale season, and the houses on the cliff have been full since the start of the year. The Whale Festival weekend, 2 to 4 October in 2026, is the most expensive date of the year (as of August 2026). The weeks either side cost less, and the whales are the same ones.
The second high season is summer, or more precisely the South African school holidays from mid-December to mid-January. Families come down from Cape Town and Johannesburg, the holiday houses are let a year ahead, and prices double. With no whales. If you want summer, take February or March.
Between May and August you barely need a run-up. Two or three weeks will do, often less, and prices sit well below the spring. That holds for the first weeks of whale season in June and July too. If your dates are flexible, go then.
What to check before you book
- A sea view is not a sea view. It can mean a strip of blue between two roofs. Ask for "sea-facing" and for a terrace, or look at the photographs taken from the terrace rather than the ones taken in the room.
- Heating. South African houses are built for summer, and July nights go down to eight degrees. A fan heater or air conditioning that runs warm makes the difference.
- Power. When loadshedding comes round, the lights go out with it unless the house has storage. Ask about an inverter, solar or a generator, especially if you need to work.
- Breakfast. Usually included and good in guesthouses, not included in self-catering. In the centre a café stands in for it; in Voëlklip you need the car.
- Stairs. Westcliff and Eastcliff run down a slope, and plenty of houses put the sea-view room on the second floor with no lift.
- Wind. The south-easter blows in summer afternoons. A terrace facing north or west stays usable, one facing east does not.
- Parking. In the centre the car stands in the street or in a yard, which is fine in Hermanus. Lock it at night and leave nothing in it.
And without a car?
Then you stay in the centre or in Westcliff, and no further east than Eastcliff. From there the Old Harbour, the Cliff Path, Market Square and the restaurants are all on foot, and the whale boats at the New Harbour twenty minutes away. Voëlklip is an hour's walk, Onrus out of range. For the Hemel-en-Aarde valley you book a tour or a taxi. Both exist, both cost.
Our tipSplit the stay if you have four nights or more: two on the cliff in the centre for the whales, two up the Hemel-en-Aarde valley for the quiet and the wine. The drive between them takes a quarter of an hour.
Common questions about staying here
Which part of Hermanus should you stay in?
For whales and the Cliff Path on foot, stay in the centre, in Westcliff or in Eastcliff. Holiday houses with the beach at the door are in Voëlklip, quiet cottages with wine in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley a quarter of an hour away. Onrus and Sandbaai only make sense with a car.
How far ahead should you book for whale season?
For September and October, book six months out. The houses on the cliff have been full for months by then. The Whale Festival weekend, 2 to 4 October in 2026, is the most expensive date of the year (as of August 2026). For June to August, two or three weeks is enough.
When is accommodation in Hermanus cheapest?
Between May and August, and that includes the first weeks of whale season. The dearest dates are the festival weekend and the South African school holidays from mid-December to mid-January, when prices double.
Do places in Hermanus have heating?
Not all of them. South African houses are built for summer, and a July night drops to eight degrees. Ask about a heater or air conditioning that runs warm before you book, and about solar or an inverter in case the power goes off.
What does the price on the cards mean?
It is the cheapest offer on trivago for the night printed on the card. On other dates it can be higher or lower; you enter your own dates after the click. The rating is the trivago guest average on a scale to 10.
Can you stay in Hermanus without a car?
Yes, in the centre or in Westcliff. The Old Harbour, the Cliff Path, Market Square and the restaurants are all walkable, and the whale boats at the New Harbour are twenty minutes away. Voëlklip is an hour on foot, Onrus out of range.
